Chapter 3

September 24th, 2022

Kirito's glowing sword sliced through the body of the Kobold Forager in front of him. The red line from his Sword Skill glowed across its chest for a second, the mob frozen in a soundless howl, before his enemy shattered in a spray of blue polygons. He didn't take the chance to bask in the thrill of victory, though. As soon as his body was able to move again, he whirled and launched himself towards the next closest enemy.

Kirito, Leafa, and Asuna were fighting deep in a forest dungeon. As part of a quest, they needed to defeat the boss of the small area; they'd explored about half of it so far, and thanks to Kirito's knowledge from the beta they were making good time. Plus, he was able to guide the three of them around the worst encounters and pick and choose when they were going to fight.

While Kirito engaged the next Kobold Forager, the blade in his left hand thrusting forward, Leafa was handling her own mob on the left side of the small clearing. Her curved sword stayed between her body and the dirty, chipped dagger the Kobold Forager was brandishing in her direction. He couldn't spare the time to actually check on her, but Kirito figured that she would be able to fight and win. Even if she has trouble activating Sword Skills sometime, he thought, she's definitely skilled at sword fighting.

"Kyaa!"

The feminine cry echoed out through the clearing, and Kirito's head whipped to the side. Asuna was sprawled out on the ground, her longsword out of her hands and lying in front of her. A Kobold Forager was standing behind her, dagger extended, and a long red line was sprawled across her side. "Asuna!" Kirito shouted, half-turning to run to her side before the growl of the mob he was fighting reminded him that he couldn't just leave. "Rrgh... Switch!" Kirito shoved forward and activated a Skill to stun the enemy before rushing towards Asuna.

She'd crawled forward and grabbed her sword, but there was no chance she was going to be able to turn and get to her feet before the mob attacked her again. With the light cloth armor Asuna wore, that much damage would stun her, leading to the vicious cycle that would only have one end. Asuna turned her head just as the kobold pounced -

- sinking its dagger into Kirito's left arm. He'd managed to cross the distance just in time to intercept. "Ghh..." A small grunt of pain escaped his lips before he swung the blade in his right hand. His stance was sloppy, but he was still practiced enough to activate the Horizontal Sword Skill, leaving a slash across the stomach of the mob. "Asuna, are you okay?!" he shouted over his shoulder.

"Y-Yeah..." Shakily, Asuna got to her feet. She raised her sword again, but the tip shook. "I can fight."

"Don't push yourself," he warned her, before kicking forward. His left blade knocked the dagger away, opening the Kobold Forager up, before his Anneal Blade thrust forward with a bright blue glow. The tip pierced the center of the kobold's chest and it froze before shattering into blue polygons.

Once the rest of the mobs had been destroyed, Kirito looked over to see Asuna drinking a health potion. She finished and tossed the bottle aside, the empty potion bottle shattering before it hit the ground. "I'm sorry, Kirito," she said. "You got hurt because of me..."

"It's fine, it's fine," Kirito assured her. He'd already recovered all of his health, so there wasn't any issue at all. "I'm glad you're not hurt. But, Asuna, you don't have to stick with the longsword if you -"

"No," Asuna said immediately. "I'm going to figure this out. I'm not going to let this game beat me!"

Kirito scratched the back of his head. "Okay," he said slowly, "but keep it in mind, okay?"

It wasn't that Asuna was bad at fighting, or anything like that. It was just something that Kirito couldn't quite put his finger on. The way she fought, or the way she would swing her sword... It was like she was always off-balance somehow. Even though he'd asked Leafa about it, she hadn't been able to point out what was wrong. And if his sister couldn't figure it out, well, Kirito was just a video gamer, he didn't know much about fighting.

At the very least, it had only been about two weeks since they'd been trapped in the game. The window for switching what weapon she was going to use without wasting too many stat points was still open. Every point counted, especially in a death game, Kirito knew, but sticking with a sword that didn't match was even worse.

It was a good thing he was able to use the twin longswords from the start. Sure, he didn't have any defensive options, and there weren't any unique Sword Skills for two swords, but he didn't use a shield anyway.

...

"Aaaahn!" Leafa stretched luxuriously, raising one hand over her head and using her other hand to pull at her elbow. "That boss was hard, huh?"

"I wish there was somewhere to get clean," Asuna murmured under her breath. "I miss baths..."

Kirito glanced at her. "Huh? You say something, Asuna?" It was a little hard for him to hear what she said sometimes, thanks to the red hood she usually wore in town.

"No, nothing."

He just shrugged, turning his attention back to his menu. He needed to sort the item drops he got from the boss of that dungeon, and -

"Guess who, Kii-boy?"

Kirito's vision suddenly went dark as a heavy weight landed on his back. Kirito instinctively leaned forward and brought his hands back to support the weight of the person that had just landed squarely on his shoulders. "...Hey, Argo," he said.

"Aw, you guessed." The hands dropped from his eyes and onto his shoulders as the girl leaned forward. "Heya!" Argo chirped as she grinned at him from over his shoulder.

The girl on Kirito's back was small and light, but he was pretty sure she was a few years older than him. Her mouse-brown hair was short and a little messy; most if not all people would say she was cute, but the mischievous grin revealed the sharp mind behind the outer appearance. Most people, of course, knew her as Argo the Rat, the best (and only) information broker in the game.

Kirito, though, knew her mostly as the girl who would tease him non-stop. "Is there a reason you're jumping on my back?" he asked her.

"A girl gets lonely when ya don't come ta visit," Argo purred, grinning at him. "An' I thought we had a special relationship! How could ya, Kii-boy?"

Kirito gulped and turned towards the swirling auras of menace coming from Asuna and Leafa. "Leafa, Asuna," he said in a hurry, "this is Argo. She's an info broker. She and I..." He hesitated before saying, "We were in the beta test together."

"Hey, Kii-boy," Argo said sharply, tightening her arms around his neck.

"Argo, these are Leafa and Asuna, my sister and my best friend," Kirito continued.

Argo blinked at him, then at the girls. "Ah! I getcha, I getcha," she said brightly, hopping off of his back and extending her hand to the two girls. Now that he could see her properly, Kirito was struck by how short she was. She only came up to Asuna's shoulders - and the brown cloak she always wore hid the shape of her body. "An' here I thought Kii-boy had tossed me aside for these two beauties."

Asuna and Leafa had the strangest looks on their faces as they shook Argo's hand, like they weren't sure to be angry or flattered. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Argo," Asuna said. "Um... If you don't mind me asking, what do you mean, 'info broker'?"

"Jus' Argo's fine," the info broker said. "As for your question, I buy an' sell intelligence. Gatherin' info's my game, an' I'm the best there is at it in this game. Got somethin' ya wanna know? Jus' ask me. It'll cost ya, though," she said, rubbing her fingers together in the universal sign. "Oh, an' by the way, what I jus' told ya costs ten col."

"Don't rip off my party members, Argo," Kirito sighed even as he dug the cash out of his inventory and flipped the coin to her.

Argo caught it with a flourish and made the coin dance across her fingers before it vanished into her cloak. "Thankies," she said with a sharp grin. "An' you, with a party, Kii-boy? That's a new one."

"Hey."

"So Kazuto was antisocial in the game, too?" Leafa mumbled to Asuna.

Asuna nodded. "I'm not surprised," she said.

"Hey!"

"Anyway," Argo said, ignoring Kirito's protests, "I kinda... need yer help."

Kirito blinked, and then narrowed his eyes. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Argo gritted her teeth and then rubbed the back of her head, giving them a grin. "Someone's spreadin' rumors usin' my name," she said, the grin turning very sharp. "I'm gonna put a stop to it. Normally, I wouldn't drag ya into my problems, but -"

"Why not?" Kirito asked, making Argo pause mid-sentence and blink. "I like spending time with you, and I'm always willing to lend a hand if you need help."

Silently, Argo tugged her hood forward to hide her face. "...No fair," she muttered quietly. "Playin' with a young maiden's heart, Kii-boy, you jerk..."

"Argo?" Kirito asked.

"Anyway," Argo continued loudly, spinning around so her cloak flared. "Like I was sayin', normally I wouldn't drag ya into this, but the rumors in question are about a hidden log-out point. So we need to handle this today before anyone gets hurt."

Heh, Kirito smiled silently, she acts all mercenary but deep down she cares about the other players. "Lead the way," he said. "Asuna, Leafa, do you want to come along?"

"Of course," the girls chorused immediately.

Argo led the three of them to a forest, in the middle of the wilderness. Frenzied Boars filled the forest, but the four of them were high-enough level that the mob cursors were a light pink and the enemies ignored them. "Here it is," Argo said, pointing at a cave straight ahead of them. The entrance was covered with vines and moss, but it was still obvious to anyone looking for it. "Alright, the logout spot's supposed to be -"

Rooooar!

"Aw crap!" Argo yelped as a loud, animalistic roar echoed through the cave. "The field boss!"

Before Kirito could demand she explain, a hulking figure emerged from the darkness, and he drew his swords without a word. The massive kobold in front of them was much larger than the Kobold Foragers they'd been fighting that morning. "It stinks," Asuna complained, drawing her sword.

"Like wet dog," Leafa muttered. "Are we really gonna fight this thing?"

"We can take it, easy," Argo said. "'Specially if we got Kii-boy here. Right?"

Kirito grinned tightly, feeling his heart begin to race. "Yeah," he said. "Let's go!"

...

Plunging from the sky, Kirito's Anneal Blade slashed down the large mob's back, nearly splitting it in half. The Kobold Ravager shattered like glass, and Kirito sheathed his blades with a flourish. "Not bad, not bad," Argo said with a grin. "I forgot how much I liked watchin' ya fight."

"You were great, Kazuto!" Leafa said, hugging one of Kirito's arms to her chest.

Kirito grinned at his little sister before turning to Argo. "This is enough, right?"

The info broker nodded and folded her arms behind her head. "Yep," she said. "It's not legit, like we thought. Guess I'm gonna go have ta take care of my imposter..."

"Just don't turn orange," Kirito said with a shrug.

"...Orange?" Asuna asked blankly.

Argo's face lit up, but Kirito reached out and pressed a finger to her lips. She blinked in surprise, and he said, "The color of the player cursor depends on whether they've committed a crime or not. All of ours are green right now, but if you attacked another player then it'd turn orange."

"I get it," Asuna said, nodding. "So it's a way to mark which players are dangerous. I see..."

Kirito nodded and turned to Argo. "Sorry, but I didn't want her to pay for the information," he said. "...Argo?" The poor girl was bright red, eyes nearly crossed as she stared at the finger pressed lightly against her lips. As the contact continued, she got redder and redder, until it looked like her face was about to catch fire. After a second, Kirito jerked away and stammered, "S-Sorry! Sorry, I didn't think, I just tried to stop you."

"I-It's okay, Kii-boy," Argo said, tugging her hood over her face to hide her face. "Speaking of payment, I owe ya for this! So howabout I help out A-chan for free? Generous of me, I know, but it's okay."

"Me?" Asuna asked. "How?"

Argo tilted her head and grinned like a cat. "Well, see, I couldn't help but notice somethin' while ya fought th' boss," she said. "How come yer usin' a longsword when you're tryin' ta fence?"

"Eh?" Asuna tilted her head in confusion. "What are you talking about, Argo?"

Argo shrugged. "When ya swing the sword, it's nice an' quick, but then you take forever gettin' yer sword back up. If ya used a rapier, that'd solve the problem."

"That's what it was!" Leafa said, clapping a fist in her palm. "I knew I recognized that. It's kinda like how Kazuto would always struggle to block when we were practicing kendo because he's used to using two swords!"

Kirito stared at Argo. "How do you even know all this?"

"I'm an info broker," Argo said with a cat-like smile, spreading her arms. "'Course I'll know what I'm talking about, Kii-boy!"

"A rapier..." Asuna hummed in thought before swiping open her menu. "I think I have one in my inventory..."

She tapped her menu a few times before a thin, slender sheath appeared on her hip, replacing the sword on her back. Asuna pulled the rapier from the sheath and examined the blade, tilting it back and forth in the light. Grinning, Argo took a cross-legged seat on a nearby rock. "An' since I'm in a givin' mood today, I'll even throw in my guide for free," she said. Tapping a button, she pulled out a thin book and tossed it to Asuna. It was labeled 'SAO Strategy Guide', and had a little mouse stamp on the bottom.

The girl caught it and started flipping through the guidebook rapidly. "I see," she said. Argo, Leafa, and Kirito stared blankly at the girl. "Frenzied Boar... A.k.a. Blue Boar, is a non-active... Oh, Kirito called it non-aggressive. The source of data and prerequisites are somewhat vague. Did the author test this information to determine the accuracy?"

"S...sorry," Argo muttered.

"But it's excellent for a starting player, or even one with a small amount of experience. Well indexed, plenty of notes and explanations, even a few images and diagrams."

"Th...Thanks."

"Rapier is... this entry. The starter skill is 'Linear'. Focus on the tip and twist..."

With a whoosh Asuna flashed forward. "Oh," she said as she stabbed a Frenzied Boar, instantly killing it with a single blow. "It worked." The wind of her passage made Argo's hair flutter.

The info broker whirled around to stare, jaw dropped in amazement. She stared at Asuna. Leafa stared at Asuna. Kirito stared at Asuna.

"Hm," Asuna said as she straightened up. Kirito realized that her hood had fallen back, and the look on Asuna's face was soft and warm as she studied the rapier. Once again, he wondered how he'd been so lucky as to make friends with such a pretty girl. "This was easier than the longsword."

"Kii-boy," Argo said, still staring in total shock at Asuna while Leafa ran over to ask how exactly she did that. "Yer sittin' on a gold mine, ya know that?"

"She's mine and I'm not giving her to you," he replied immediately.

"Rats."

...

It took a little bit longer for the temporary party of four to return to town, mainly because Asuna was in love with her rapier and kept getting distracted by Frenzied Boars. Any time she would see one in the forest, the only warning the others would have would be the scrape of steel as she drew her rapier.

Usually, only Kirito was able to react in time, and even then he was rarely able to say anything before Asuna whooshed away, stabbing through the blue mob.

"Thankies again for the help," Argo said as they entered the Safe Zone. "Things went a lot smoother with some backup."

"No problem, Argo," Kirito said with a smile. "Let us know if you need anything else, okay?"

"Yeah, gotcha. Gotta run, Kii-boy and girls," Argo said with a chipper tone as she waved goodbye. "Oh yeah! Kii-boy, if ya ever wanna share a bed again, jus' lemme know, 'kay? I know I had a lotta fun last time!"

Kirito froze, hand still raised in a return wave, as murderous auras sprang to life on either side of him. "Ka-zu-to," Asuna and Leafa ground out simultaneously, "what is she talking about?"

A bead of nervous sweat rolled down his face. "I, uh..."

As he grinned weakly at the girls, he silently cursed Argo for getting one last jab in before leaving him in the lurch. Seriously, that girl was way too troublesome...

October 7th, 2022

Kirito sighed and sheathed his sword. "Alright," he called out. "Sorry, but I have to cut today's practice short, okay?"

"Awww," a chorus of young voices answered him. Still, despite their disappointment, the children nearby sheathed their weapons and prepared to head back to the Town of Beginnings.

Kirito looked out at the crowd of players nearby - most young, a rare few his age or older - and hid a sigh. How did he get stuck doing this? he asked himself again. Then, he remembered exactly what had led to this situation.

It was pretty simple, all things considered. Because he had to take care of Asuna and Leafa, Kirito had delayed setting out on the road for a few days. Instead of rushing to Horunka, the three of them had gone out to the boar fields every day and fought the Frenzied Boars surrounding the Town of Beginnings. It was the safest way for Asuna and Leafa to learn how to fight. Or, well, Asuna needed to learn; Leafa had picked up the basics well enough during the first day.

At some point during the second day, Kirito realized that while he was demonstrating the start-up motion for the Horizontal skill, a small group of children were following him. The few that had one-handed swords were aping the motions until one boy got the motion right and cheered loudly.

Obviously, he couldn't just let them run around unsupervised, but what else was he going to do? In the end, he'd turned into a teacher of sorts for the day, helping the kids learn how to use their weapons as best he could. Things escalated from there; the next day, all of the kids that had been there the day before were gathered, as well as a small group of older players. When he saw everyone waiting, Kirito had just scratched his head in confusion while Asuna and Leafa laughed.

Even now, a month into the game, he was still teaching the introduction classes to anyone who wanted to learn. Mostly, it was just kids.

"Um, Mister Kirito..."

Kirito looked over and smiled. The young girl nervously approaching him was one of the most promising of his 'students'; she was getting pretty talented at using her sword and shield, even if Silica tended to flinch and run away from enemies rather than stand her ground. She'd have to learn not to do that, but the twin-tailed girl was shaping up to be pretty good. "I've told you, Silica, you don't need to add Mister, Kirito is fine."

"Oh, um, Kirito... Do you really have to leave?" the girl asked.

He smiled and patted her head gently. "I do," he said. "There's a meeting with the frontliners this afternoon, and I have to get back to my friends before then."

"Aw..." The girl - she couldn't be older than Sugu, Kirito realized in a sudden rush - pouted, but didn't protest further. She didn't mention the headpats either, so Kirito indulged for a few more seconds. His sister would always complain and paw at her hair when he touched it, even though the two metal clips kept her bangs out of her face. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you gonna talk about there?"

Kirito smiled, and raised a hand. Pointing to the sky above them, he said, "We're having the first ever boss meeting. We're gonna beat this boss, and find out what's above us."

...

Kirito knocked on the door to the bedroom. "Come in," he heard Asuna say through the wood. Once he had permission Kirito opened the door and stepped inside. It was a rustic room, and surprisingly homey for being a building they'd had to unlock through a quest chain. It also had a bathroom connected to the bedroom, and he'd never seen Asuna happier than when she'd first realized there was a bath.

Seriously, he could have sworn he'd seen sparkles in her eyes. The incredibly loud sigh of contentment, because of course she'd immediately stepped inside and slammed the door behind her to take a bath, had also been a small clue to how happy the bath made her.

In any event, there was only one bedroom with two beds, despite the three of them renting out the entire top floor, so they had to share. Kirito was always acutely aware of the dangers he could encounter if he entered without knocking; even though they were part of the party and so the doors couldn't be locked on him, he always knocked first. Just to be on the safe side.

...Though if he were to be entirely honest with himself, he had imagined what Asuna looked like as she took that bath...

"Teaching the other players again, Kazuto?" Asuna asked. She was sitting on the bed she shared with Leafa, studying her rapier. The Wind Fleuret in her hands was a nice rapier that dropped from nearby mobs, and she took care of it seriously. She nodded briskly after a second and sheathed it again, leaning the weapon against the nearby dresser. "Sugu was worried you were going to be late."

"That's why I finished early today," Kirito said. It was a routine thing by this point that he'd go and teach a class on introductory Sword Skills on the weekends. "Where is Leafa, anyway?"

"Right here, Kazuto," Leafa said as she opened the door. "I went to stock up on potions for all of us, just in case."

Kirito smiled. "Great. Thanks, Leafa."

"No problem!" his sister said happily.

Since they still had a little bit of time before the meeting in Tolbana, Kirito idly wondered if he should go out and grind some of the nearby Kobold mobs a little bit more, before deciding that the best move would be to lie down and get a nap in before the meeting. After all, he was a little worried that tensions were going to come to a head, and he and the girls were already level 12.

Yeah, he thought as he flopped on the bed, a nap sounds nice right about... now...

...

Kazuto and Suguha were walking hand in hand down a street lined with festival stalls. He wore a simple grey yukata, while his little sister wore a cute kimono with a flower pattern. The two of them were having a great time, though Kazuto was frowning a little bit. Suguha, on the other hand, was giggling happily. "It's not that funny, Sugu," Kazuto complained.

"She thought we were sisters," the eight-year-old girl laughed. "It's because you look like a girl!"

"Not fair," Kazuto sighed, but he smiled. "Hey, wanna go get a candy apple?"

"Yeah!" The two of them, still holding hands, ran over to a nearby stall and asked politely for one of the candy apples that the man was selling. He laughed and handed it to Suguha, while Kazuto solemnly fetched the money their mom had given him and paid for the treat.

He turned back to Suguha after putting the change away to ask for part of the apple, only to see that she'd already taken several huge bites out of it. Sugar was smeared around her mouth a little bit where she'd gotten sloppy. "Hey, Sugu," Kazuto complained. "I want some."

"Here!" she said easily, thrusting the apple at him. Kazuto took it and took a huge bite.

Mmmm, he thought as he swallowed, this tastes really good. He took another few bites before Suguha pouted at him in irritation and snatched it back. "I wasn't finished," he complained.

"You already ate half! It's my turn!"

...

That's weird, Kirito thought as he woke up abruptly. Why was he dreaming of that? After a second, he shrugged, attributing the memory to the peculiarities of sleeping in the game.

"Kazuto," Asuna said, and she had a strange note to her voice. "Is there a way to take pictures in this game?"

"Not until the fifth Floor," he answered sleepily, without opening his eyes. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason," she said innocently.

Kirito shrugged and sat up, rubbing his eyes and stretching luxuriously. Yeah, that was a good nap. And right on schedule, he noted as he checked the clock. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah!" the girls chorused.

The atmosphere in Tolbana, Kirito noticed as they entered the town proper, was a lot different than the day before. More players were wandering around the streets of the town, chatting more animatedly, and out enjoying the day before the October chill set in. "Wow," Asuna murmured, "there's more people here than I expected..." She'd pulled her hood up to cover her face. Leafa, on the other hand, was walking around without a care in the world.

"News spreads," Kirito said. "Especially with Argo spreading the news with that newspaper of hers. I think every player that's over level 10 is gonna show. At least, I hope so."

The meeting took place at the amphitheater in the center of town, so the three of them made their way down the street. Cracked pillars lined the street as they approached, starting to cast long shadows in the afternoon sun. The amphitheater itself already had players gathering, mostly down near the bottom of the amphitheater, and while Asuna might have been wearing a hood Kirito still didn't want any more attention than he really needed. Enough players knew about the classes he taught, and he wasn't that comfortable with the looks he'd sometime get in towns. So, the three of them sat up near the top of the amphitheater, a bit removed from everyone else.

Asuna, on his left, stared down at the rest of the players and listened to the sound of their chatter. "So many players," she murmured. "All here to clear the boss..."

Kirito shook his head. "You're still thinking about this too naively, Asuna," he said. She looked at him, tilting her head. "These people aren't here out of the goodness of their hearts. Not entirely, at least. I'm sure that there's a few of us here to help out -"

"Like us," Leafa chimed in, from his right.

Kirito scratched at his cheek. "...But a lot of us are here because we can't stand to be left behind. Me too, to some extent. You two aren't as big gamers, so you might not feel the same way, but... being left behind, not being at the front? I don't want that."

Leafa tapped his shoulder. "...You stayed behind to help us get used to fighting," she said.

"Yeah, of course I did," he said instantly. "Is that... important?"

His sister smiled. "Oh, it's nothing," she said. Still, Kirito got the strangest feeling that she was incredibly pleased with herself. The look on her face... Her half-lidded eyes and a small, curved smile gave the impression of total smugness. When he looked at Asuna, to see if she knew anything, he stared straight into her eyes. If he didn't know better, he'd say they were sparkling.

A sharp clap caught his attention and Kirito turned to face forward. A man had taken the center stage; Kirito could tell his metal breastplate was high quality, and the blue hair marked him as a talented player. The easiest way to get that hair dye, he knew, was to complete a quest in the southern edge of Floor 1. "Thank you all for coming today!" he called out, his voice rising over the player chatter. "My name is Diavel, and in this game, I like to think of myself as a knight!"

...

Asuna let out a quiet sigh as the player Diavel started talking about how he was a knight. It must have been a joke she didn't quite understand, because the players laughed. Even Kirito chuckled a little bit.

Still, she couldn't quite focus on the speech Diavel was giving. Part of it was the warm, happy feeling filling her from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. Kirito had delayed for them! Of course Asuna was thrilled. He cared about them.

That was only part of her distraction, though. The other part was what Kirito said earlier, bouncing around in her head. 'A lot of us are here because we can't stand to be left behind.' The look in his eyes when he talked about what drove the players... It was intense. Was that the kind of intensity... that she'd had when she studied for her tests, to stay in the top ten of her school? The top two percent of the country?

If that were the case, Asuna wondered, then were she and the other players in this game really so different? No, not at all. So, then, she would pour all of her effort into striking faster than anyone else, and fly swifter, so she could climb high up this floating castle next to Kirito and Leafa.

...Oh no, had she become a gamer?! Had it happened? Had her best friends finally corrupted her? Asuna shook her head to banish the thoughts and giggled helplessly. Even when Kirito and Leafa looked her way, she just smiled at them. It was her own private joke, after all. And she did like those two particular gamers.

In doing so, she finally managed to focus on the meeting at hand. "Today," Diavel was saying, arm outstretched theatrically, "our party discovered the first Floor boss chamber! The time has come to beat the boss and reach the second Floor! Though it's taken an entire month, we now have the chance to show everyone that someday we will beat this death game! As the top-level players, that's our duty! Isn't that right?!"

Asuna nodded, impressed with the man's speech-making skills.

"Hang on a sec, sir Knight!"

The loud voice startled her, and she looked over to the side. A spiky-haired man was standing on the steps. "Gotta get this offa my chest," he said, stomping down the steps and onto the stage.

"What's on your mind, friend?" Diavel asked, smiling politely. "Opinions are always welcome. However, I'd ask you to introduce yourself first."

"Hmph," the man snorted. "The name's Kibaou." Then, he took a deep breath, and shouted, "C'mon, you cowardly beta testers! Show yerselves! I know there's five or ten of 'em here! Apologize to the fifteen hundred people who already died because you were too busy hoggin' everything to yourselves to help the newbies!"

Asuna's eyes widened, and she shot to her feet. How dare that man insult Kazuto?! she thought furiously. Her anger blinded her to the murmurs of the other players gathered, and to the hushed cries of both Kirito and Leafa as she strode down to the amphitheater. Glaring at Kibaou the whole time, she opened up her menu and pulled out a specific item.

As the Strategy Guide Argo had given her weeks ago appeared in her hand, she demanded, "How dare you? You're saying that the beta testers didn't help new players? Then what do you call this?" She held the guide in the air, her cloak rippling around her. "This Strategy Guide written by Argo the Rat is available at every item shop, for free. And I know for a fact that certain beta testers hold introductory lessons to the game every weekend, where anybody can go and learn how to activate the basic Sword Skills. The information is out there," she snapped, "and we've all used it to stay alive. So don't you dare claim that every beta tester is guilty of abandoning new players. What else should we do, but be grateful for the information we've been given?"

Kibaou gritted his teeth, but didn't say anything. In fact, a strange silence had fallen across the entire crowd of players. Asuna looked out at them, hidden in her hood, and fidgeted awkwardly at the shocked stares. Oh, right... She remembered Kirito mentioning that girl players were really rare. They were probably all trying to memorize her appearance.

...Game addicts were gross, she decided. At least, when she looked up, Kirito and Leafa were just hurrying down the steps instead of being entranced by just the fact that she was female.

An abrupt clapping sound made her jump. Halfway to the stage, Kirito and Leafa came to an awkward halt. "Well said," Diavel said from right behind her, and she whirled while stepping away. "It's as she said! Our enemy is not beta testers. It's the Floor boss. And I have here," he said, pulling an item out of his menu, "the newest copy of the Strategy Guide, released an hour ago. It's a special edition - a strategy guide for the boss."

"The Rat has a boss guide?!" "But we just found the boss chamber..." "How did she get the info out so quickly?" players murmured.

"The boss's name. Estimated HP. Sword Skills. Attack damage. Accompanying mobs. Everything we need to fight and win is in here," Diavel continued. "And we will do so without any fatalities. If there's any fault with the information, then I will defend us all. I swear it on my honor as a knight!" he proclaimed, thumping his chest with a fist. "It seems fitting," he added as the assembled players grinned. "Since we have a princess."

Asuna flinched. Embarrassed, she ducked her head and hurried off the stage, rushing for the safety of Kirito and Leafa. She could feel the eyes watching her the whole way and was glad for the hooded cloak that covered up most of her body.

"Alright," Diavel said as the three party members took a seat. "It's about time to start the planning. First, we have to form proper raid parties. We're looking for six parties of seven, so team up with your friends and others around you."

Asuna blanched. Looking at Kirito, he seemed just as pale. Leafa didn't seem as shaken as the other two, and in fact was staring at them in confusion. The problem was... Asuna looked around, and sure enough, the other players were already grouping up. As she'd expected, five groups had already formed in rough circles. There was no way there would be any room for all three of them. Just like in her school, when the other girls wouldn't -

"So, you three are together?"

Diavel was approaching them, smiling weakly. "Uh... yeah," Kirito said awkwardly when neither Asuna nor Leafa spoke up. Asuna was still shaken from the memories of her school, but she wasn't sure why Leafa didn't say anything.

"Forgive me!" Diavel exclaimed, bowing abruptly. "But can I ask you to back up the team handling the Kobold Guards?"

Kirito scratched his cheek. "Yeah, it's no problem," he said. "We don't have the numbers for a full raid party, after all."

Diavel let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Thanks for understanding."

"It's an important job after all," Kirito said.

"I see," Diavel said, smiling. "But, as a knight, I'm jealous that you get to guard two princesses," he added, holding up a fist.

Kirito bumped it lightly as Asuna and Leafa stared daggers at his back. Asuna was almost offended that the blue-haired man would think she needed to be defended! "Ha ha. Yeah... It's an important job, alright," Kirito said weakly.

"Calling me a princess," Leafa muttered under her breath. "I can be a knight too..."

...

Once the meeting was over, Diavel offered to hold a practice session with any team that wanted to join, but Asuna, Leafa, and Kirito decided to head off. "After all," Asuna muttered under her breath, "we're just the backup killers. They should just say we're not part of the main team."

"Well, there's only three of us," Kirito pointed out.

"I know," Asuna muttered. "It's just... Oh, nevermind. I shouldn't take it out on you."

Leafa blinked. "Asuna, is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. I'm just a little irritated by that... that... that cactus-head, still."

"Nya hah hah! Cactus-head, that's a good one. I'll have to remember that, A-chan." The three of them jumped at the sudden laugh that seemed to come from nowhere. Even looking around, Asuna missed the hooded figure until Argo seemed to melt out from a cracked pillar's shadow. "Yo," she said.

Kirito smiled. "Hey, Argo. Listening in?"

"'Course I was, you know me," she said with a cat-like grin. "Gotta say, pret~ty impressed by yer little speech, A-chan. I think I might even owe ya a favor for keepin' those guys off lil' old me's back. So, as a special favor, I'll promise not ta sell Kii-boy info 'bout that cute underwear ya bought yesterday."

Argo grinned like she was doing a huge favor, but the others didn't exactly react like she had. Leafa immediately whirled on Kirito and started demanding, "Why would you buy information on something like that?!"

"I'm not! I don't!" Kirito waved his hands in front of him, looking away from the angry girl.

Meanwhile, Asuna was blushing bright red as she rounded on Argo. "How do you know about that?!" she wailed, mortified. She hadn't seen Argo anywhere when she visited that shop! She might be best friends with Kirito, but there were still limits! H-Her underwear was definitely, absolutely off-limits! "Argo!"

"Nya hah hah!" The info broker laughed impishly, grinning at her even as Asuna loomed over her, nearly in tears. "Sorry, A-chan, only one freebie! Yer gonna have to pay for that if you really wanna know."

Someone coughed behind them, and Asuna blinked in surprise. When she straightened up and turned around, she didn't recognize the very large, dark-skinned man. An axe-head poked out over his shoulder; it was double-bladed, something that Asuna hadn't seen before. His muscular arms, with his bald head, almost intimidated Asuna before she noticed the expression on his face - an easy-going grin that instantly set her at ease. "Can we help you?" Leafa asked.

The man grinned wider. "Just wanted to say a quick thank you to the Princess over there," he said, his voice a deep rumble. "For standin' up for the beta testers. You beat me to it by a second, or I woulda been the one up there."

Asuna fidgeted. "I just couldn't let him keep saying those things," she said. "It wasn't fair."

"Whatever your reason, you did a good job up on that stage."

"Thank you, Mister..." Asuna smiled, but trailed off when she realized she didn't actually know the man's name.

"The name's Agil," the giant said. "Anyway, just wanted to say that. My own group is waiting for me, so I'll leave you three."

Three? Asuna wondered. There were four of them... When she turned around to look for Argo, she realized the tiny info broker had disappeared while her back was turned. "Grrr..." Asuna muttered, her ears burning from just the memory of what the Rat had said. "I'm going to find her, and when I do..."

"Instead of that," Leafa said, patting Asuna's shoulder sympathetically, "we can go back to the room and take a bath. I want to just soak for a while."

Immediately, Asuna's mood brightened at the prospect of taking a nice, warm bath. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Sugu," she said. "Let's go."

...

"Aaaaaaah!"

The pair of incredibly contented sighs echoed out through the wooden door, and Kirito flinched. As the sound of the girls' conversation started up, he tried his best to ignore the barely-legible sound of their voices through sheer willpower. When that failed, he pulled out a copy of the Boss edition of Argo's Strategy Guide and started poring over it, studying the pages intently.

About fifteen minutes later, he realized he was holding it upside down and flipped it.

As he'd expected, the boss was Illfang the Kobold Lord. The Ruin Kobold Sentinels, the approximate health the boss had, even the fact that once the boss was near death it would discard the axe and shield for a talwar: everything in the guide was information that could only have been gathered by a beta tester. Argo was really going out on a limb, Kirito mused as he flipped through the pages.

Before he could get too invested in the book, someone knocked a familiar rapping pattern on the door. Nok nok nok-nok. Kirito looked up at the door and frowned. Why was Argo visiting them? Especially this late at night?

He opened the door. "Argo," he said. "It's a surprise to see you this late."

"Yo," Argo said nonchalantly, raising a hand in greeting. "I'm comin' in." Then, putting action to words, she casually lifted Kirito's arm a little bit and ducked under. A little non-plussed, but sadly used to this sort of thing, Kirito shut the door behind her.

"Is there a reason for the visit, or..."

"Nah," Argo said breezily. "Just comin' ta say hello. I'm guessin' the gals are in th' bathroom?" Kirito nodded silently. "Cool! Gonna head on in with them, then."

Kirito nodded silently - before Argo's words registered. "Wait, Argo?!" he yelped. Before he could do anything, though, the info broker had already opened the door and slipped through.

"Wah- Argo?!" Asuna's shout was muffled by the door closing behind Argo. Almost immediately after that, the girls' conversation abruptly dissolved into squeals, shouting, and splashing that Kirito did his absolute best not to imagine what was happening on the other side of that door.

He was mostly successful.

By the time the girls came out of the bath, all looking refreshed - and, in Asuna and Leafa's case, a little red-cheeked, not that Kirito wanted to think about what would have caused that - he was about ready to call it a night. "Alright," Argo said easily, wearing a loose shirt and shorts. "So who gets what bed?"

"Huh?" Kirito asked blankly. "Normally, Asuna and Leafa sleep in that one, and I-"

"I'm sleeping with Kazuto tonight," Leafa said, interrupting him. "We're siblings after all, so it's not strange. Plus, we shared a bed when we were kids."

"Can't argue with that," Argo said. "Guess it's me an' A-chan."

Kirito looked back and forth between the girls, confused. "I think I missed something."

"I'm sleepin' in yer room tonight," Argo said brightly. "For luck!"

"What's lucky about it, exactly?" Kirito muttered.

Argo grinned. "Don't sweat the small stuff, Kii-boy."

Kirito just sighed. Dealing with Argo, especially when he was this tired, wasn't really worth it. So, he decided to just change into his pajamas - a comfortable black shirt and pants that he'd picked up along the way while Asuna and Leafa had been shopping for their own pajamas - and sit in the bed, reading over the Boss guide.

He wasn't sure how long he spent reading the guide, but it was definitely late once he finished going over it. Beside him, Leafa was fast asleep, hand lightly clutching at the sheets. Yeah, he remembered, she always was a grabby sleeper... It probably explained why she had so many plushies in her room back in the real world.

When he glanced at the other bed, Argo was sitting up, Asuna's head resting gently on her lap. She stroked the girl's long hair lightly before looking up to notice that Kirito was watching her. Once Argo knew, of course, she gave him the smuggest grin possible. "Stealin' yer girl, Kii-boy," she whispered, careful not to wake either of the sleeping girls.

It didn't matter, Kirito knew, since the system wouldn't send signals while they were asleep, but it was automatic to whisper. "She's not my girl," he protested in a whisper of his own. "We're best friends."

"Uh huh," Argo said, giving him an exaggerated wink. "An' I bet there's nothin' to the rumors of you seducin' three pretty ladies an' takin' them back to your inn room, either?"

"You know there's not," Kirito said flatly. "I'm going to bed, Argo."

"Night, Kii-boy~."

...

When Kirito woke up, he didn't expect to be staring straight into Argo's brown eyes, her whiskered face incredibly close and her lithe body snuggled up against him, but there he was, in that exact situation.

Once she realized he was awake, Argo grinned. "Mornin', Kii-boy. Sleep well? Any dreams of yours truly?"

Kirito tried to figure out how to reply to those questions, and eventually settled on a neutral, "Why are you in my bed, Argo?"

"Ya looked comfy. Yer sis seems to think so, at any rate."

Kirito glanced over his shoulder, careful not to move, and realized that Leafa, sometime during the night, had rolled over and transferred her grip to his shirt while nuzzling against his back. Turning back to Argo, he watched the girl carefully before saying, "Do you want us to..."

He trailed off, but the info broker seemed to know exactly what he was going to say anyway. "I'll be fine, Kii-boy," she said. "Don't need to worry about me. With A-chan's little speech yesterday, even if players suspect I'm a beta tester they won't do anythin'. Hmm... Guess I kinda owe you a lil' somethin' too, for puttin' on those lessons an' helpin' me out with the Strategy Guide."

"Put it on my tab," he said instantly.

The girl's whiskers twitched as she giggled. "Nya hah hah. A favor it is, then. If ya ever need somethin', lemme know." With a shimmy and a wriggle, she slipped away from Kirito's chest and out of the bed, landing lightly on her feet. "Anyway, I'm gonna scurry away," she said. "Seriously, though, Kii-boy, good luck on the boss fight. You an' the girls aren't allowed to get hurt, got it?"

"We won't, Argo. We'll be careful," Kirito promised. The info broker gave him a rare, honest smile before switching back to her regular hood and tugging it over her head. She slipped out the door, and it closed behind her with a soft click.

Well, Kirito figured, nothing else to do than get started. He tried to get out of bed, only for a sharp yank to remind him that Leafa was still clinging on. As her arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer, he was forced to acknowledge at least one thing.

His little sister... definitely had a tight grip. But, on the other hand, he was comfortable, and he did enjoy spending time with her, so this really wasn't the worst way to spend a morning, Kirito decided.

The three of them spent a lazy day getting prepared for the boss raid, and before they knew it, the day was upon them. Walking to the Labyrinth was eventless; the few mobs that were stupid enough to challenge a full raid party were handled in short order, without anyone getting so much as a scratch. The Labyrinth itself was easy, too. Diavel's group had cleared the way the day before, and the most dangerous mobs hadn't re-popped.

Before too long, the raid party stood in front of the looming Boss doors. They were rough-hewn stone, with cracked and chipped reliefs depicting large dog-headed creatures - the kobolds that were everywhere in the latter half of the Floor. The doors gave off an ominous aura, matched with the flickering torchlight of the Labyrinth. Kirito felt Leafa brush up a little closer to him, but Asuna stood firmly by his side, staring up at the door.

He leaned over. "We can do this," he told her. "Don't worry."

"I'm not," she said after a second, smiling at him. "Because I know you and Sugu are with me, Kazuto."

Kirito grinned at her, then looked back front when Diavel started to speak. Despite not talking too loudly, in case mobs were attracted to the sound, his voice carried clearly across everyone. "I'm incredibly proud of everyone here," he said, "for showing up. To tell the truth, I was tempted to call things off if even a single player didn't show, but here you all are!"

A round of laughs and cheers answered the joke. Kirito was just glad that the players didn't seem to be too worried. By his side, Leafa's eyes narrowed slightly as she hummed under her breath. "Too confident is just as bad as not confident enough," she murmured when Kirito looked at her.

"I think we'll be fine," Kirito whispered. "We're all high enough level that we can handle the adds easily."

"Yeah," Leafa smiled.

"I just have one last thing to say," Diavel called out. Then, he raised his sword in the air, torchlight reflecting off of it. "Let's win!"

"YEAH!" the players shouted. The war cries were, Kirito mused, somewhat similar to the panicked screams of ten thousand trapped players, a month ago in the square of the Town of Beginnings.

With one last smile at all of them, Diavel turned and pushed open the doors of the first Floor's Labyrinth. The stone slabs ground in protest, but swung open ponderously until the players could rush through. With more shouts, the players ran forward, swords out as they charged into the boss room.

The boss room was huge, bigger than Kirito remember, although that could be because a single mistake could be fatal this time. Even as the raid members spread out, it didn't seem to him like they were taking up that much space. Tall pillars lined a stone path, but beyond that the gloom of the room was too dark for Kirito, Asuna, or Leafa to see anything.

On the right, a torch lit itself with no visible cause. Another lit itself after that, then another and another down the massive hall. Each one increased the light levels of the room, making the colossal shape at the end of the hallway visible little by little.

A large throne sat on a dais, and a large kobold sat on the throne. The monster was red-skinned, wearing a few pieces of armor - just gauntlets, greaves, and a helmet, though they didn't cover the starburst pattern of scar tissue on Illfang's chest. One hand clutched an axe with a wicked-sharp edge, and the other held a sheathed sword. Three fully-armored kobolds flanked the huge boss, carrying spears of their own. Illfang, the Kobold Lord.

"That's... a boss..." Asuna whispered, grip on her Wind Fleuret tight.

A growl rumbled in the large kobold's chest as the players grouped together, clustering in an unconscious search for safety. Ponderously, Illfang got to its feet and threw back its head, letting out a roar that shook the stones under their feet. "His main weapon is a bone axe. Backup is a talwar!" Diavel shouted. "Accompanied by three sentinels! It all matches the intel! And we can win this thing! Follow my lead!" he shouted, charging forward.

Kirito, Asuna, and Leafa exchanged a quick glance before they ran forward, weapons out.

...

"Alright!" Diavel called out, gesturing with his sword. "The boss is in pattern C! Tank Team A, pull back! Team D, forward! Team B, prepare for the next pattern!"

Asuna couldn't help but glance at the main fight in awe. Even with the threat of death, she thought, they're all fighting. The fighters were going up against a beast taller than any of them, even the large tank Agil, and they were still doing well. Thanks to Diavel's shouts, they were able to keep cycling well and keep their HP up.

Even the groups fighting the Ruin Kobold Sentinels were fighting hard, although Asuna was a little less impressed with Kibaou's crass method of shouting. "I said drink the pot!" he shouted as he forced a potion into the mouth of one of his party members on red health.

Shaking her head, Asuna turned her attention back to her own Sentinel. With a lightning-fast strike, the point of her rapier sank into the small gap between the Ruin Kobold Sentinel's suit of armor and helmet. The dog monster recoiled with a sharp yip, and she drew her rapier back with a flourish. "Switch!" she called out.

A black blur rushed past her, and with a heavy blow Kirito swung his swords. The first blade wasn't glowing, but the one in his left hand had a blue shine to it. The right Anneal Blade knocked the Ruin Kobold Sentinel's mace away, and the left one slammed into its side. The savage combination, as well as Asuna's own strike, was enough to drain the last of the Ruin Kobold's health and destroy it.

As the mob shattered behind him, Kirito sheathed one Anneal Blade and pulled out a potion. He popped out the cork with his teeth and drank it down, looking almost bored with the fighting. Asuna couldn't help but smile as a strange shiver ran down her spine.

"Switch!" Leafa called out, and Asuna turned. Before even thinking twice, she had launched forward, rapier driving in a Linear aimed straight for the staggered monster. "Thanks, Asuna!"

"No problem!" she replied sharply.

As the monster died, she turned to see Kibaou standing near Kirito. He grimaced. "Don't get full 'a yerself," the spiky-haired man growled. "I've heard all about the stories 'bout the beta tester who uses two swords. Ya stole a buncha the Last Attack Bonuses, didn'tcha? Well, you're not gonna get this one! It belongs ta -"

"Asuna, Leafa," Kirito said calmly, "the second wave of Sentinels have higher stats, be careful." Kibaou's eyes bulged at the casual dismissal, but Kirito didn't glance at him. "We're up."

"Right!" Asuna and Leafa chorused.

They fought, killing the mobs whenever they spawned. Kirito, Asuna, and Leafa were in a league all of their own, handling the ones that Kibaou's group missed or had to let through. Even though there were only three of them, they worked together so well that the Ruin Kobold Sentinels didn't stand a chance.

Kirito and Asuna paused, panting as their last Kobold died. With a tired grin, Kirito gave her a thumbs up. Asuna smiled back.

Backing up after whipping the edge of her rapier across a kobold's chest, letting Kirito take the attack, Asuna bumped into someone. She turned and smiled when she met Leafa's eyes.

"Oooooh!"

Asuna and Leafa whirled at the loud shout, only for their eyes to widen as they saw Illfang throwing its head back and roaring. The buckler shield and axe it had been holding clattered to the stone floor. "Yes!" Diavel shouted joyfully. "We're nearly there! He dropped the axe! Here comes his secondary weapon, the talwar! Everyone remember what to do? The basic's the same: deflect the weapon, hit his throat!"

With a dark growl, Illfang reached behind its back and gripped the hilt of the wrapped weapon on its back. It pulled, the leather wrappings falling away. As it hefted the shining, curved blade over its head, Leafa gasped. "Kazuto!" she shouted. "That's a katana!"

"What?!" he exclaimed, before whirling to stare. "...No!" he gasped.

The main group was too far away to hear the discussion, and Team A - the attacking group led by Diavel - was already rushing the boss. "Wait! Stop! Don't do it!" Kirito shouted desperately. "That's not a talwar!"

"Hey!" Kibaou snapped. "Whadda ya mean!"

But, it was too late. Desperately, Kirito ran forward, ignoring Kibaou's angry shout. Asuna and Leafa let out twin cries of concern, but Kirito ignored them as well. Illfang let out an angry roar, a gleam in its red eyes shining, before the katana in its hand glowed a dull, horrible red.

Team A had just reached the boss when it unleashed a spinning slash that struck all around its body. The players in the attack range cried out, knocked flying by the blade. "An AOE skill!" Leafa gasped.

Several players hit the ground roughly, moaning in pain. Illfang crouched, snarling, and launched itself in the air. It bounced off of several pillars, Asuna barely able to keep following it with her eyes, before it slashed down in a savage stroke.

Diavel, still in the air, was unable to dodge and took the attack in full.

The armored knight crashed to the ground, armor rattling. Players shouted in concern, but Kirito didn't turn. He stopped and crouched next to Diavel's unmoving body. Asuna and Leafa ran up next to him, just in time to hear Kirito beg, "...Last Attack Bonus? You're a beta tester, aren't you?"

Diavel's lips moved. "Take it... from here-" he started to say.

And then his health bar reached zero, and he shattered into blue polygons.

Asuna gasped and hugged herself, shivering. This was... the first time she'd encountered death. The first time she saw someone die in front of her. That same cheap effect she saw every time she killed a mob marked the end of a person's life.

She felt someone wrap their arms around her and bury their face against her chest, and she automatically hugged Leafa back.

"Gyaah!" Behind them, more Ruin Sentinel Kobolds spawned, threatening the other members of the raid team. "Th-There's more of them!"

"Nobody said anything about this!"

Asuna whirled. The players were backing up, getting pressured by the adds. What do they do?! Asuna wondered wildly.

"Don't panic!" Kirito shouted. "Just handle them the same as before!"

His shout didn't seem to register with the panicking players. Any semblance of the smooth movement they'd shown earlier, fighting Illfang, had vanished when Diavel died. Asuna stared, horrified. With just one death, they were all going to... All going to -

In front of her, Kirito stood up, gripping his handles. Asuna turned scared eyes on him. "Asuna," he said. "Leafa. Please... even if it's only you, you have to escape! Please!"

Asuna's eyes widened as he stepped forward to face Illfang, both blades at his sides. He was... trying to buy them time. So that they could escape, he would sacrifice himself.

Illfang let out another guttural roar as it raised the katana over its head again. Kirito shouted back, swinging his sword, perfectly timed to counter the strike. Illfang's katana bounced back before the boss snarled and swung again. Kirito's second blade came up smoothly, knocking the second strike back again.

A flurry of strikes followed, Kirito's face set in a fierce snarl as he concentrated with all of his might. Finally, he saw his chance, and swung upwards with his right blade. The glowing sword smashed into Illfang's blade and knocked it away. The boss reeled.

That was when Asuna slammed the point of her rapier directly into the starburst scar on Illfang's throat, dealing a critical hit. "We're partners!" she snapped at Kirito. "So there's no way we're leaving you behind!"

"Yeah," Leafa said, holding her curved sword in front of her, in her usual kendo stance. "There's no way we'd just abandon you like that! So don't even try!"

Kirito spared a glance on either side of him, looking at the determined expression on Asuna and Leafa's faces, before he shook his head. "Alright," he said. "Let's do this. Team B, escort the wounded to the Safe Zone!" he shouted.

"G...Got it!" Agil, the leader of Team B, called back.

"Hrrg... Grrg!" Illfang growled, before launching an attack. Immediately, Kirito was there, his blade curving in a sweeping arc that countered the blow. While Illfang pounded away at Kirito, the boy canceling every Sword Skill the boss tried to use, Asuna slipped to the side. As soon as she had an opening, her rapier thrust forward in a blinding-fast Linear, tearing a gash across the boss's throat.

They could do this. Kirito was a skilled fighter, and he could counter every move the boss made. Asuna felt her lips pull into a tight smile as her Linears scored Illfang's hide. They could -

Kirito jumped, thrusting his sword forward to counter Illfang's slash from the right - but Illfang's sword changed halfway through the attack, crossing over its body to come from the other side. Kirito's eyes widened as the blade came streaking towards him -

With a shout, Leafa jumped in the air and slashed her curved sword down. Sparks flew out as her saber collided with Illfang's katana, stopping the blow dead in its tracks before Kirito could get hurt. Instead, Kirito's thrust passed through the sudden gap in Illfang's defenses and stabbed into the monster's chest.

"We're all clear!" Agil shouted as Illfang staggered back. "Get outta there!"

Kirito glanced over his shoulder. All of the players were standing back at a safe distance. Asuna could hear some of them murmuring to each other. "Hey, should we help them?"

"Look how hard they're fighting..."

"Don't be an idiot, Linear's too weak to do much damage, there's no way."

"It's all 'cause they want the Last Attack Bonus," a familiar voice said, and Asuna recognized Kibaou's harsh tones. "We shouldn't have ta put our lives at risk for their greed!"

"Yeah, don't get me involved in this!"

Asuna looked at Illfang, and how low its health was - deep in the red, barely a sliver remaining - and her expression firmed with determination. Standing tall, she lifted her rapier. "Asuna...?" Kirito murmured.

"If they want to run, we can't stop them," she said, her voice cutting through the other players' complaints. Then, with a deliberate flourish, she grasped the hem of her cloak and tore it free. Her long hair spilled in the air, flowing like silk, and she heard all of the whispered and fearful comments die away immediately. She even heard a few gasps of awe. "But I will not let Diavel's death be in vain!"

Leafa smiled, panting heavily. She adjusted her grip on her saber. "Just like kendo," she murmured. "Can't stop until the match is over, right?"

Kirito stood up, brandishing his twin Anneal Blades. "You're right, Leafa," he said. "There's only a sliver of health left!" he called back to Agil. "We can do this!"

He didn't see the expression on the large man's face because he launched himself forward, flanked by both girls, but Agil shook his head with a small, wry smile.

Illfang roared loudly as the three players closed on it rapidly. It raised its katana over its head and slashed down at Kirito. He dodged out of the way, shifting towards Leafa, but Asuna was just barely able to sidestep the blow. The blow, while close, hadn't hit her, so Asuna didn't hesitate an instant as she brought her rapier up.

Shing! Her blade slammed into the boss's stomach, stunning it briefly. With a shout, Leafa capitalized on the opening and activated one of her most powerful Sword Skills, Cyclone. She spun on her heel, blade biting into the boss's side as she spun like a top.

Illfang roared as its health dropped, but the bar stopped just before the end. "No!" Asuna gasped as she tried to recover even a half-second faster.

Kirito kicked off of the ground and lunged, slashing with a glowing blade. The Anneal Blade's Slant skill caught Illfang at the left hip and left a red mark all the way up to the right shoulder, launching the boss in the air.

Midair, Illfang's body exploded into hundreds of tiny, glowing shards. Kirito landed on the ground and swayed, before standing tall. As a fanfare played, signaling the end of the boss fight, he thrust his fist in the air.

There was a stunned silence for just long enough for result screens to appear in front of everyone. Once that happened, it seemed to register in the players' minds that they'd actually won. "We did iiiiiit!" players started shouting, celebrating with abandon.

Asuna smiled, exhausted but filled with an odd sense of accomplishment. They were only one percent of the way there, but it still felt like they'd finally reached the top of a mountain that seemed insurmountable.

Kirito glanced her way and raised a hand. Asuna blinked, before raising her hand and giving him a high-five.

"Why?!"

Asuna twitched in surprise by the sudden shout, just as she was about to high-five Leafa. She turned to see one of the other players standing stiff, fists clenched by his side. "Why did Diavel have to die?!" he shouted. "He should be the one that got the kill, not this guy! You abandoned him, didn't you?!" he accused, pointing a trembling finger at Kirito.

Asuna's eyes widened as people started whispering. "He knew how to counter all the boss's attacks, didn't he? Why didn't he tell Diavel?" "If Diavel had known, he would have survived..."

"The Last Attack Bonus. You wanted the last attack on the boss, so you deliberately didn't tell Diavel about the sword." This voice wasn't one Asuna recognized, and she couldn't see who was talking. "Isn't that right... beta tester?"

Kirito's eyes darkened as the crowd erupted with hushed whispers. Asuna looked around frantically, but the celebration had disappeared without a trace. They'd turned on Kirito instantly, and she had to do something.

"Um... I was the one that recognized the katana..."

Asuna turned to see Leafa raising her hand almost sheepishly. The black-haired girl nearly flinched under the sudden attention from all the players but rallied. "And how'd you know?" the person who'd first shouted asked her. "Are you a beta tester too?!"

Leafa shook her head. "What? No. What does that have anything to do with recognizing a weapon? I do kendo, so of course I know what a katana looks like." She tilted her head. "...Are you saying you didn't know what it looked like?"

He gritted his teeth, face slowly turning red, but didn't say anything. Kirito snorted under his breath, and Leafa turned to look at him, the expression on her face confused. It was as if she hadn't realized how innocently savage that question had been.

"As soon as he learned there was a difference between the beta and this fight, he tried to save Diavel," Asuna spoke up, stepping forward to quiet the murmurs. "And while he was unable to save him, we were able to escape the trap because of knowledge he gained from past this point. That's something that was possible only because of beta testers, and the information they've shared. They are not our enemy! Yes, there are greedy and selfish beta testers that use their knowledge only for themselves. But that doesn't mean we should assume that all beta testers are like that!"

"...Can I say somethin'?" Asuna looked over, about to continue her diatribe, but Kibaou's voice stopped her. "Back at the start of the game, I didn't know how to fight. 'Til I heard about the introduction lessons bein' given in the Town of Beginnings. A lotta what I learned there is repeated in that Strategy Guide written by the Rat." The rough man scratched the back of his head. "Back at the boss meeting, the princess over there mentioned the guy givin' lessons is a beta tester. That guy, an' I guess the Rat too, they're helpin' us regular players out. Not like other cheating beta testers. An'… I guess not every beta tester abandoned us new players. It was only a few."

"Cheaters!" "Cheating beta testers!" "What's worse than cheating beta testers?" "They're... They're beaters!" "Beaters!"

The energy in the room shifted slightly, focusing away from Kirito and towards the selfish beta testers. Asuna wasn't quite sure who'd come up with the phrase 'beater', but it seemed to be catching on. "For now," Agil said, "we should probably return to town and rest up."

"What about the next Floor?"

The dark giant grinned, showing off surprisingly white teeth. "Why don't we let them handle it?" he suggested, gesturing at Kirito, Asuna, and Leafa. "They beat the boss after all. Only fair they get to open it up, right?"

"Fine by me," Kibaou muttered.

As the other players cleared out, Agil gave the three players a wink before leaving. Before long, it was just the three of them in the empty boss chamber. Once she was certain they were alone, Asuna sighed with relief. "That was stressful," she sighed.

"Yeah," Leafa mumbled. "I don't know how you do it, Asuna."

"Don't you have people watching you when you're doing kendo?"

"That's not the same, I'm wearing a mask and gear, they can't tell anything about me." Leafa shivered. "It felt like they were staring at me the whole time."

Asuna sighed again. "That's why I wear the cloak," she said. "But I'm not quite sure if it'll work any more..." In order to turn the discussion away from her looks, she coughed and asked Kirito, "What did you get from the boss?"

"Oh, right..." Kirito swiped open his menu. "The Coat of Midnight." He tapped the menu and a black coat materialized around him, settling neatly over his shoulders. It flapped around his legs in an invisible wind before settling down.

"Ooh," Leafa gasped. "You look really cool, Kazuto!"

Kirito grinned at her before turning and walking towards the other end of the hall. "C'mon, let's go activate the second Floor."

"Coming!" the girls chorused, catching up and walking next to him.

Illfang defeated. Go team. Originally, this was intended to be two separate chapters and then I said 'screw it, get the stupid chapter over with.'

Anyway. We've got Argo's first appearance! Hooray! She's a tease, but Kirito is pretty good at handling her when you get down to it. I like to imagine that she's pretty flirty, but has no defenses at all. She's also pretty smart, considering how she was able to pick up and suggest using a rapier to Asuna.

Speaking of Asuna, I like to think that she's a bit more big-sister like, thanks to taking care of those idiot Kirigaya siblings for four years, but is also still her Progressive self (like getting distracted by killing boars for fun). As for how they're using Kazuto's real name, I'm treating as Asuna and Sugu just aren't used to game etiquette quite yet. Plus, look at how they refer to him in canon; Asuna always calls him Kirito (since that's how she met him) and Sugu always says Kazuto (or Nii-chan, but the only person using suffixes is Argo because why not). Since Asuna met him as Kazuto, I figure that's how she'll continue to refer to him. The other girls will use Kirito and Leafa properly, and just politely ignore how those two use his name.

And then we have all of the Illfang stuff. Things change! Things stay the same! Asuna speaks up in defense of beta testers, Kirito isn't blamed for Diavel's death, and the heat's off of the beta testers and onto the beaters. Nice. Leafa being there means she was the one to mention it's a katana, so they have the perfect excuse for knowledge – using their eyes.

Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.